St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-29
GOSPEL SHOPS At WAR.
The Lively Tilt Between Gen. Thomson
and Maj. Fishblatt.
THE MAJOR HOLDS THE FORT.
The General Locked Out and a New
Gospel Army Incorpor-
ated.

Things have come to pretty pass
when the leading lights of religious
body fall out, call each other bad names
and charge one another with misappro
priatiOn of funds. Yet such state of
affairs exists in Minneapolis in the
Gospel Army, an off-shOot of the Saliva
ton Army, and to make matters worse,
two leading officers threaten to sue one
another in the courts. The trouble began
some days ago when Gen. j. l.. Thomson
Fishblatt from the army, for alleged
neglect of duty and mutiny. When he
issued this order he was in Minneapolis
and DIR. FiShblatt in Winona AS soon
as the doctor heard of his dismissal he
fastened home, as he claimed Gen.
Thompson had no right to dismiss
him from the service. Gen. Thompson
returned from Sioux City yesterday and
held a long interview with several mem
bers of the army. To a reporter he
made the statement that he had uncon-
sciOusly become the dupe of men of the
world, who had by some means worked
their.way into the army. According to
his story he appointed DIR. Fishblatt
major of the Northwest some four
months ago, and soon afterwards placed
him in charge of the finances of the Or
ganization. The doctor then assumed
almost full control, Gen. Thorn
son said, and even went so
far as to open letters addressed
to the general. Gen. Thompson then
decided to remove him, and did so. He
says he will take legal measures to re-
cover books and money now in the
hands of Maj. Fishblatt, and will also
sue him for libel.
A large number of Gospel Army men,
bers met at Maj. Fishblatt's house yes
terday afternoon and organized a so
ciety under the name Of the American
Gospel Army, with Maj, Fishblatt
at the head. 1t was decided, it is
claimed by those who were at the
meeting to prosecute Gen. Thomson for
obtaining money under false pretenses,
and to drop him at once from the mem
bershIp roll. After this meeting DR..
Fishblatt called upon Deputy Sheriff
Quinlan, and to him he showed lease
of Harrison hall for one year, signed by
himself and Gen. Thomson. Holding
this document up in front of the deputy
sheriff, the doctor said that Gen. Thomson
had removed the regular lock from the
hall door and had placed Oh a new lock,
key of which was held only by him
self. Furthermore, Gen. Thomson was
tospeak there in the evening, and he
(the dOctOr) believed that he was simply
going to admit few of his friends and
hold high carnival. Accordingly he, as
one of the lessees, wanted the hall
closed. When evening came Quinlan
went to the hall, accompanied by Maj.
Fisblatt, and after waiting some time for
Gen. Thomson to put in an appearance,
closed the hall, much to the disgust
of a few Thomson cohorts. who pro-
tested vigorously. One woman in par
ticular was wild. Rising to her full
height she looked Quinlan squarely in
the face and shouted:
1--WE came here tonight, sir, to pray
for member of the police force who
drinks; but now that the law has pre-
vented us from praying for him l sup
pose his soul will be forever lost"
At o'clock Gen. Thomson had snot
put out and the hall closed. Maj. Fish
blatt remained at the foot of the stairs
talking with some of his friends. APP
pafently he was not at all elated over
his victory over Gen. Thomson, and
gave his side of the story i'm a straight
forward manner. He said:
Ieertainly regret that this trouble has come
into the army, and can only say in explain
ing it that it would never have come about If
Gen. Thomson had attended to his business
instead of going around telling lies.s He had
no right to dismiss me. He is now out of the
army, as we incorporated this afternoon
under the name of the American Gospel
army. In relation to my having money i'll
my possession that has not been accounted
for, l will say this: When Gen Thomson
came here he had not cent in the world,
and he has not now, for that matter. have
supported him and his family, and even pur-
chased for him the suit of clothes he is
wearing. ! personally guaranteed the
payment of all the rent bills contracted
by him, and stand ready to pay them. Thorn
son has secured about 5000 from the army
and myself, which he has spent as fast as he
got his hands on it. Whether we shall sue
him for this money remains to be SEEM but if
he makes any more fuss certainly shall sue
him myself. Thomson is not minister as
he claims, and he had no right to
marry couple at the Salvation
army some weeks ago. He has no
ordination papers, but carries certifi-
cate signed by number of ministers, show
ing that he has preached two years. He
came here to make money out of this thing,
and is perfectly irresponsible. really wish
he would bring an action against me, it
might be made interesting for him, We have
closed our hall here for a short time, but will
reopen again in short time. We are also
making arrangements to organize stations at
of into